My 1.5-year journey: Transitioning from Finasteride/Topical to Dutasteride + Oral Minoxidil (5mg)
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share my hair loss journey over the past 18 months. It’s been a long process of adjusting my protocol to find what works best for my AGA. Here is my timeline:
My Timeline & Protocol:
Jan 2025 – Oct 2025: Started with 1mg Finasteride daily + Topical Minoxidil.
Oct 2025 – Feb 2026: Switched to 0.5mg Dutasteride daily.
Feb 2026 – May 2026: Added 2.5mg Oral Minoxidil to the regimen.
May 2026 – Present: Dropped topical minoxidil entirely and increased my Oral Minoxidil dosage to 5mg daily.
Current Status & Observations:
The transition to 5mg of oral minoxidil has definitely triggered a significant shed. While it’s stressful, I’ve noticed a lot of vellus/baby hairs popping up, especially along my hairline, which gives me hope. Compared to where I started in early 2025, my overall density is better, but the progress is currently in a "fluctuating" phase due to the recent increase in dosage.
Questions for the community:
1.For those who switched to 5mg Oral Minoxidil, how long did it take for you to see stabilization after the initial shed?
2.What has been your experience with vellus hair maturation while on a high-dose oral minoxidil protocol?
3.I am interested in hearing about your long-term timelines with this dosage—when did you notice the peak visual density improvements?
I’m curious if anyone else has gone through a similar transition from topical/lower dose oral to 5mg. Any feedback or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.